Illumination
by LightClan
Summary: An ominous prophecy appears in the night. "The one who knows true pain will rise again... and light will fall from the very dust of the world." Who is the one? And can they be stopped? LightClan's first contribution to Fanfiction. Please join our forum! The admin is Morningdove14. Rated T, because we really have no idea what will happen.
1. Prologue - Morningdove14

**Hello readers, and welcome!**

**Before the story begins, there is some explaining to be done.**

**This account, LightClan is the shared account of all the members of my forum, LightClan. This story is written by all of us, one chapter at a time. We each write one chapter, and maybe more chapters after that. No two chapters in a row will be by same author. Which makes this interesting.**

**At the beginning of each chapter, there may be an author's note from the author in question. Then it will say who is writing what wonders you're reading. Feel free to check out that writer's other works.**

**Without further ado, I will let you know who I am and begin the prologue of Illumination.**

...

**Author: Morningdove14 - Dawnstar of LightClan**

**Prologue**

There was a rush of strange images, zooming by so quickly there was no time to take them in. Then suddenly they slowed down. They were depictions of pain and blood, of needless violence and death. And of a cat, slowly turning his face, so his features could nearly be seen... and the images sped up again. They rushed faster and faster, more rapidly than before, until suddenly they were all red. And it was a cascading waterfall of blood.

Then an echoing voice spoke, strangely hushed though it seemed to yowl.

"_The one who knows true pain will rise again... and light will fall from the very dust of the world_."

...

The black-furred cat sat up sharply, panting. Her eyes were wide as she stared around her cluttered den. Her rapid breathing slowly calmed.

She stood up, shaking bits of moss from her pelt. Glancing around, she left her den and came into a clearing. Above, a three-quarter moon shone in the star-filled sky, casting a soft glow on the clearing. The cat stared at it for a moment, mesmerized, before snapping out of her trance and hurrying to another den. She ducked inside.

"Ashstar?" she called softly, then more firmly, "Ashstar! Ashstar, wake up!"

The gray and white cat stirred and moaned. He opened an eye a crack. "Nightfur? What time is it?"

"Just past moonhigh, but-"

"Moonhigh?" Ashstar groaned. "Is it urgent?"

Closing her eyes, Nightfur sighed exasperatedly. "You call yourself a leader? Sit up!"

Ashstar paused, then did so, licking a paw and running it over his eyes. "What is it?"

Nightfur opened her eyes and stared straight at her leader. "I... I had a dream from StarClan."

There was silence as Ashstar waited.

Nightfur hesitated and looked away, before continuing. "It was confusing, but... there was lots and lots of blood. An endless rush of it. And then... it was a voice I'd never heard before, strange and whispery. And there was a prophecy." She paused for a moment, wanting to get the words just right. "_The one who knows true pain will rise again... and light will fall from the very dust of the world._"

She looked back to the tom.

Ashstar nodded, his face showing no emotion. "Thank you for telling me. Is there anything we can do?"

"I don't know," Nightfur told him. "But I know it's important."

"Thank you. Why don't you get some rest. Then we can talk about it in the morning, when we're _all_ awake."

Nightfur purred. "You just want to sleep!"

Ashstar purred too. "You know me too well."

Dipping her head, Nightfur left. The purr caught in her throat as soon as she left. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. What did it mean? Who was the _one who knows true pain_? She settled into her nest, breathing in the smell of many different herbs as she sat there, lost in thought.

...

Ashstar fell asleep almost as soon as Nightfur had gone. He dreamed.

Instantly, he arrived in a shadowy forest that was not lit by a glowing moon. The twisted trees around him swept upwards, forming a messy tangle of branches above his head.

A unkempt cat with greasy yellow fur and glowing green eyes crouched just above him on a blackened root. "Well? What woke you?"

Ashstar tilted his head slightly. "My medicine cat. It seems she had a horrible dream."

The green-eyed cat leaned forwards. "Well?"

"StarClan warned her. It will happen soon."

The bedraggled cat leaned against the tree, appearing satisfied. "At last! I have waited many generations for this!"

Ashstar's eyes flashed. "So... what is my part?"

The cat lept down from his perch. "You know already. I just have to tell you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," the cat said slowly. "That StarClan will fall."

His tail slowly rose until it was pointing straight up.

...

**ALLEGIANCES**

LIGHTCLAN

Leader: **Ashstar**- white tom with grey patches and dark blue eyes, outwardly mellow and kind, but with questionable motives.

_Apprentice, Lightningpaw_

Deputy: **Shardclaw**- silver tom, dignified and slightly sarcastic.

_Apprentice, Arumpaw_

Medicine Cat: **Nightfur**- black she-cat, motherly and affectionate.

Warriors:

**Leafstorm**- lithe tortoiseshell she-cat, quick and loyal.

_Apprentice, Windpaw_

**Icepelt**- white she-cat with brown paws, prim and protective.

**Coalstripe**- dark grey tabby tom with cream-colored paws and amber eyes, proud and prickly.

**Rosebriar**- cream-colored she-cat with green eyes, sweet and gentle.

Apprentices:

**Lightningpaw**- black and cream-colored she-cat with grey paws and bright yellow eyes, rash and ambitious.

**Windpaw**- brown tabby tom, loud and energetic.

**Arumpaw**- golden she-cat with blue eyes, perceptive and curious to a fault.

...

**Reviews are always appreciated.**

**Want to contribute? Join LightClan today! All members are welcome!**

**Link: forum/LightClan/136719/**

**Keep writing!**


	2. Chapter One - Meta Write

**Nothing really important to say, other than that the plot may change very unexpectedly. Enjoy!**

**~ Chapter 1 by Shadowfall of LightClan, otherwise known as Meta Write.**

* * *

The dark Tom picked himself up, his blood encrusted fur stiffened. He sniffed the air, and caught the scent of LightClan.

_I must be in their territory, _He thought, shaking the dust off of his Brown fur. He looked down at his paws, and saw his claws digging deep into the dirt.

_Who did this to me? _He thought. He needed revenge! He bolted far out into the forest, little did he know, that he was going closer to the camp of LightClan.

* * *

Ashstar woke up, and heard the Clan outside his den. He heard the excited yowled of kits, the chattering of Apprentices, and the negotiating of warriors. He stretched and walked outside of the den. He leapt to the branch nearest to his den, catching it with his claws and scrambling up. He surveyed the Clan and smiled devilishly.

_Soon they won't be so relaxed about their lifestyle, _He thought of the cat he had seen in his dream, and smiled again as he remembered what the cat said.

_StarClan shall fall..._

_"Ashstar!" _Who was this, now?

"Ashstar!" Ashstar looked towards where the voice came from. He stopped when his gaze fell on a petite, lithe tortoishell she-cat.

"Yes, Leafstorm?" Ashstar replied.

"Do you mind if I take Lightningpaw out with me and Windpaw?" Ashstar shook his head.

"No, I don't mind," He replied. Leafstorm nodded in her thanks and ran to find Lightningpaw and Windpaw.

* * *

Leafstorm, Lightningpaw, and Windpaw padded through the forest, the light filtering through the trees, seeming green.

"Now, what is the first thing you do on hunting patrol?" Leafstorm asked the apprentices.

"Uh, hunt, duh!" Lightningpaw laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Get low to the ground and move downwind from prey-scent!" Windpaw yowled triumphantly, puffing out his chest.

"Good job, Windpaw!" Leafstorm laughed. She pointed her muzzle in the air. "What do you smell?"

"Mouse!" Both Apprentices called out at once. Lightningpaw crouched low to the ground, her back arched up. Leafstorm nor Windpaw dared comment on this. Lightningpaw leapt through the air, moving upwind from the prey. The 3 cats heard shuffling in the bushes, and when it stopped, a mouse appeared, scurrying away. Windpaw leapt over to it and killed it with one swift bite.

"Want some?" He asked through a mouthful of mouse. Both warrior and apprentice nodded.

"Lightningpaw, you really need to work on your stea-" Leafstorm was cut off as Lightningpaw let out a high pitched yowl.

"I know what I need to work on!" Lightningpaw yowled. "But Ashstar never trains me! This is my first time out of camp!"

"What did you say, Lightningpaw?" Windpaw asked.

"I SAID that Ashstar never takes me out of camp!" She replied. Leafstorm's face twisted in shock.

"Come with me, I'll train you," She said to the Black-and-Golden furred she-cat. Lightningpaw nodded and raced after the Brown-and-yellow cat. Windpaw's white-and-gray pelt flashed through the trees as he followed. Lightningpaw laughed in glee as she bounded through the forest, her yellow eyes flashing in the sunlight.

"What Will you be training her?" Windpaw asked.

" I will be training her how to improve her hunting crouch," Leafstorm replied. "Lightningpaw, get into the hunting crouch." Lightningpaw obeyed, her tail still high in the air. Leafstorm placed her paw on the top of Lightningpaw's back, and gently pushed her back closer to the ground. She flicked her tail, telling her to do the same. Lightningpaw nodded, and flicked her tail, the end result being that it was closer to the ground.

"Now try it." Lightningpaw sniffed the air, then began creeping forwards. She stopped in front of a tree, smiling. Smoothly she slithered up the trunk, and, not making any rustling, crept onto a branch.

She leapt forwards.

A squack was heard, then silence. Lightningpaw climbed down the tree, a crow hanging from her jaws. Both Leafstorm and Windpaw's jaws dropped in astonishment.

"Your first catch.. Is a CROW! Congratulations, Lightningpaw! Let's take that back to camp to show Ashstar!" Leafstorm meowed. Lightningpaw giggled.

"Yeah, we should be back at camp, once you get your catches," Lightningpaw said. Leafstorm and Windpaw nodded in agreement and ran through the forest, Lightningpaw trailing behind. Suddenly, Lightningpaw stopped. She heard something that sounded like a moan. She ran faster than the other two, moving forwards. Leafstorm and Windpaw nervously followed, not sure what to make of Lightningpaw's curious spasm.

"Lightningpaw, what's wrong?" Leafstorm called out.

"I heard something!" Lightningpaw replied, but it got muffled, so it sounded like, 'I burnt Something!' Leafstorm gave a curious glance over to Windpaw, who shrugged.

"Why are you running because you burnt something? Don't only Twolegs do that?"

Lightningpaw stopped short.

She saw a limp form laying before them. Lightningpaw nervously moved forward, but stopped about 2 tail lengths away from the form. It was a cat.

* * *

**Next Chapter goes to I don't know!**


	3. Chapter Two - Morningdove14

**CHAPTER TWO**

**After a slight (or long) delay, I am proud to present to you... chapter two of Illumination!**

**Writer: Morningdove14 - Dawnstar of LightClan**

* * *

Pain.

Pain was everywhere. Soaking through his fur, leaking through gashes. Pounding in his chest. Every beat hurt.

The tom opened his eyes a crack and winced at the light that split his vision, piercing into his eyes. But he opened his eyes the rest of the way and his mind cleared.

He was lying in a leafy-green alcove, the scent of herbs, bitter and sweet, all around him. A roof of bramble stretched over his head, blocking all light but the streaks that streamed through tiny cracks.

The brown-furred tom's gaze fell on his fur. It was soaked with leaf poultices, cobwebs covering hot gashes. How had this happened? Where was he? Who had put on the poultices?

Deciding lying there wasn't going to help, he stumbled to his feet and dragged his feet towards the entrance, his vision swimming as sharp pains attacked him. But he kept going until he ducked under the bramble entrance and out into a sunny clearing.

* * *

Lightningpaw was bored.

Ever since her first venture out of camp with Leafstorm and her first catch three days ago, the warrior had been paying extra attention to her. Ashstar had still been ignoring her though. She'd showed him her crow, hoping he'd be pleased, but the LightClan leader hadn't even glanced at it. Instead, he'd snapped at Lightningpaw and shooed her away.

Today, Leafstorm had taken Windpaw out for some solo battle training. She had said he needed to catch up on a few moves, but Lightningpaw knew the truth. Leafstorm couldn't train two apprentices. It was Lightningpaw that needed to catch up, not Windpaw.

This morning, she'd cleaned the elders' den out. And Rosepaw and Coalpaw, her sister and brother, had already finished the nursery. Now they'd gone out with their mentors on a border patrol, and there was nothing for Lightningpaw to do. How come they had been given proper mentors? Why did everyone think it was such an _honour _to have the leader as her mentor?

For a moment, when she'd found the bloodstained tom, she'd thought something exciting was to happen. She'd been wrong, and hopelessly so. She wasn't even allowed in Nightfur's den, and no one knew who the tom was. He just slept all day.

Lightningpaw wandered over to the freshkill pile, noting its small size. She wished she could be out in the forest, catching prey for all the Clan. But she knew better than to sneak out. Last time she had, a hunting patrol had escorted her back to camp for being out without a warrior or permission, and Ashstar had scolded her in front of the whole Clan. Lightningpaw hadn't even gone that far.

Suddenly, a well-known gruff voice came from behind her.

"Come on, Lightningpaw."

Lightningpaw spun to face him. It was Shardclaw, the LightClan deputy. "Where?" she asked. Was he taking her out into the forest?

"Rosepaw and Coalpaw are having their final hunting assessments today. Ashstar wants you to join them." The gray tom stared at her. "I'm to escort you to the training hollow. They're waiting."

"My... final hunting assessment?" Lightningpaw said, horrified. She'd practiced lots in camp, but she'd only really been out once. Then she held herself proudly. If she did well... if she did well, she'd become a warrior! She'd be allowed out of camp on her own! "Okay!"

"Follow me." Shardclaw almost seemed to have a glint of pity in his eyes for a moment. Or was that a trick of the light? Before Lightningpaw could decide, the gray warrior started on. The cream-furred apprentice hurriedly followed, scuttling out the camp entrance.

Shardclaw set a fast pace, easily clearing fallen trees and small streams that Lightningpaw stumbled over or splashed through. Within a few minutes, the pair reached her littermates. She collapsed, panting. Lightningpaw was more out of shape than she'd thought.

Rosepaw leaned over her. "Are you okay?"

Nodding, Lightningpaw forced herself to her feet. "I'm fine." Her breathing slowly calmed.

Coalpaw hadn't glanced at her. He seemed to be on his best behaviour, carefully composed. Lightningpaw only recognized the glint in his eyes, his bristled fur and the twitch of his tail as excitement. Rosepaw looked like she could barely stop herself from leaping sky-high.

Their mentors, Icepelt and Ivybreeze, inseparable sisters, sat in front of them. Icepelt looked stern and Ivybreeze seemed to be attempting to copy her, though her eyes glowed.

"Thank you Shardclaw." Icepelt dipped her head to the senior warrior. "Sorry for the disturbance."

Shardclaw blinked slowly. "It's my responsiblility."

"Will you be watching Lightningpaw?" Ivybreeze asked.

The deputy nodded. "Our leader instructed me to."

Lightningpaw's mind whirled. The deputy would be watching her? Ashstar's close friend? She gulped. She hoped he liked her more than her mentor did.

"Excellent." Icepelt raised her chin. "Then we should begin." She looked to Shardclaw for instructions. He was deputy, after all, and she was a young warrior.

Shardclaw took the hint. "Rosepaw, you'll be hunting at treefall area. Coalpaw, to sunrocks, and Lightningpaw... the brook."

Lightningpaw blinked. She'd never heard of those places. What would she do?

Rosepaw looked very pleased, though she shot Coalpaw, who seemed to be glowering, a sympathetic glance. She rubbed her pelt against her sister's. "The brook's great! You'll do wonderfully!"

The cream-furred apprentice hesitated, then nodded determinedly. She could get Rosepaw and Coalpaw to teach her the territory when they were warriors. For now, she'd pass her assessment.

Her littermates took off, Coalpaw hesitantly but coolly, while Rosepaw bounded away, finally letting her excitement loose. Their mentors slipped after them, nodding to one another. Lightningpaw stared at Shardclaw. _What do I do?_

She took a deep breath. "Um, I, uh... Shardclaw, where's the brook?"

The warrior raised an eyebrow.

Lightningpaw rushed on, saying the first excuse that slipped into her mind. "I just... I forget which way because I'm scared."

"Follow me." Shardclaw started off, betraying no reaction.

Lightningpaw rushed to follow him, again forced to sprint though the forest. She was gasping for breath in no time. Had he bought it? Or maybe he was close enough to Ashstar to know his training methods.

Then suddenly, she realized they were at the camp entrance. Lightningpaw stopped. "I thought I was doing my hunting assessment."

"You were." Shardclaw turned to face her. "But you're not ready."

Lightningpaw stepped forward. "Yes I am! I can do this! I told you, I'm just nervous!"

Shardtail ran his tail along her back, smoothing her fur. "It's not your fault. Don't worry, I'll speak to Ashstar for you."

He led the way into camp. Lightningpaw reluctantly followed, lowering her head. She considered sneaking back out, but what was the point if there was no cat to supervise her hunting assessment?

Shardtail signaled for her to wait outside Ashstar's den. Defeated, Lightningpaw crouched there. Rosepaw and Coalpaw would be made warriors without her. She tried to grasp the thought, and shoved out the dreams of keeping vigil with her littermates, of patrolling with them.

Or of becoming a warrior.

Something happened at that moment. A sound from across the clearing that made Lightningpaw's head snap up.

The dark tom, the one she'd found in the forest earlier, stumbled from the medicine den, his fur patched with slimy poultices. He dragged one of his back legs, blinking at the bright sun streaming onto his face. "Who did this to me? Where am I?"

* * *

**Cliffhanger for the next writer! Sorry for the wait, and I hoped you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Please review, and feel free to join LightClan here: ** forum/LightClan/136719/

**Thanks!**


	4. Chapter Three - Sierra of the Stars

**Author's Note:** 'Ello! Brigtpaw speaking, author of this (less-than)-lovely chapter of _Illumination.._. I hope you like it, and I'd love to hear your questions, comments, concerns, and criticism. Your feedback means a lot. I suppose that's all, so enjoy!

**Warning:** The following chapter is rated T for claws, teeth, and all-natural meat skewers. :)

**Writer:** Brightpaw of LightClan – Sierra of the Stars

* * *

**Chapter Four**

**-The Shadow Hunter-**

_The tomcat writhed and flailed, striking blindly at his opponent. His claws met flesh, again and again, and blood dribbled down his forelegs into his eyes. The hot, sticky liquid obscured his sight so it was impossible to see the attacker's face. Jaws white as laurel and sharp as hawk's talons snapped at his muzzle, and the dark-furred warrior lashed out wildly, struggling to free himself from the rough paws pinning him to the ground and constricting his every movement. Now they closed around his neck, squeezing, squeezing._

_He gasped for air. He could not fight off this enemy. For the first time in his life, the tom would beg for mercy… except there was no breath to beg with. He was going to die here, throttled in his own territory by a foe he couldn't recognize. His thoughts grew sluggish, little black minnows swimming frantically across his vision._

_But, no, the forceful grip withdrew. He exhaled, blinking the ruby blood from his eyes and savoring the brief respite. Still the world was a blur of scarlet and grey. Relief. Sweet, sweet relief._

_Agony. The unseen warrior sank his fangs deep into the soft skin at the tom's throat. Pain hummed through him like a swarm of roused hornets, delving red-hot stingers into his bones, stabbing at the inside of his skull. He screamed, the sound gurgling in his gore flooded mouth. He screamed like he thought no cat could scream, least of all a level-headed LightClan tom._

_So this was where it ended..._

Coalstripe's eyes snapped open, and he sucked in a frantic, juddering breath. His tabby pelt was drenched and heavy, perhaps from sweat or perhaps from the moistness of the air. The night was lethargic and as smothering as the paws of his imagined foe. A newly named Rosebriar snored quietly where she sprawled over his spine, one paw dangling listlessly over his back, the other squishing her face into a comical half-grimace.

He shouldn't have been sleeping on their vigil night. It served him right if he had nightmares because of it. Coalstripe shifted his weight, sending his littermade sliding to the peaty earth with a muffled thud. Rosebriar moaned and squirmed closer to her brother. He prodded her in the ribs, a bit harder than was strictly neccessary.

The slender she-cat's lids fluttered open. She blinked drowsily at him, her expression a study in doe-eyed innocence. "What?" Rosebriar drawled, yawning widely and running one creamy white forepaw over her face. "What do you want, Coalpaw?"

"That's Coal_stripe_ to you, hare-brain," he said.

Rosebriar's paw dropped incredulously. If it were possible, her pale fur would have blanched several shades lighter. "Coalstripe... Ceremony... StarClan, why didn't you wake me up earlier? Ashstar's going to be livid if he finds out I slept through the vigil!"

"Somehow I don't think he will be," grumbled the grey tabby. "But it wouldn't hurt to shut your flapping mouth until dawn, just to be on the safe side."

" 'Kay," said Rosebriar sleepily, coiling her sleek body into a tight ball and tucking her nose under her plumy tail. Coalstripe counted nearly three heartbeats before her snoring resumed with even greater fervor than before.

He stared out at the mist-choked territory. He knew it by heart, every rise and fall of the land, every gnarled twig on every writhen maple, every chattering brook and gap between the leaves where shafts of sunlight pierced the boughs like broken teeth. He knew it all, and when the dawn came he would be a part of it- _really_ be a part of it- for the first time. Coalstripe only wished he could say the same of his youngest sister.

Lightningpaw had always been rash. Too rash. Something about her rubbed his pelt the wrong way, but he still couldn't wish this upon her. He couldn't wish it on any cat. His gaze wandered to the shadowy recesses of the apprentice den, where Lightningpaw surely lay, deeply asleep. The stout old honeysuckle bush had never really felt like a home to him, and now, with the faintly glimmering fog clinging to its spindly branches like wispy cobwebs, it seemed more like a crypt than ever.

Rosebriar's heavy breathing discreetly invaded his thoughts, until he matched her peaceful rhythm and Coalstripe was lulled into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

"Coalstripe. Coalstripe!"

Coalstripe became dimly aware of his own name being hissed urgently into one tufted ear. The merciless heat washed over him, scorching his whiskers and searing his face. He had a sour taste on his tongue.

"Coalstripe, it's nearly dawn. We're both going to be skinned and hung from the maples if you don't wake up. Coalstripe, please!"

"You're one to talk." He cracked open a single eye just enough to shoot Rosebriar a withering glower before he tucked his chin into his chest and tried to sink back into the cool oblivion of sleep.

"I'll bite you," said Rosebriar.

"No you won't," he murmured.

"I will," she insisted. "The sky's already lightening. If you're caught kipping straight through the warrior vigil-"

"Rabbit dung to the vigil," said Coalstripe.

_"Coalstripe."_

"All right, all right, I'm up." He hoisted himself upright and forced his sleep-encrusted eyes open. Sure enough, the pitch dark vault above them had already faded to a dull periwinkle. A moment later, light cascaded over the hills like a river on the rocks, white and and rollicking beneath a spray of frothy clouds. The night's mist quailed before it.

A shrill yowl from the warrior den signaled the end of the vigil, and the two siblings hurriedly assumed more dignified postures, Rosebriar lifting her chin and beaming around at the camp, Coalstripe straightening his back and trying not to scowl.

Lightningpaw was the first to emerge from the dens. Her broad, kitlike face was twisted into a dour pout, and her sage-yellow eyes glimmered mutinously. She did not spare her littermates a word as she padded across the clearing to her mentor's nest. Coalstripe didn't have to ponder long to guess her thoughts. As if pestering Ashstar would do her any good.

The next was Shardclaw, his silver fur meticulously slicked back as always and his sauntering gait swiftly covering the distance between the deputy and the two new warriors.

"Rosebriar, Coalstripe," he said cordially. His voice was hoarse, like he'd just swallowed a mouthful of sharp pebbles. "Congratulations on your new status. I don't suppose you're up for dawn patrol?"

"Of course," said Rosebriar.

Coalstripe nudged her with one hind paw and mewed, "Don't cats usually rest and build up their strength after their warrior vigils?"

Shardclaw's whiskers twitched skeptically. "What, a pair of fine young cats such as yourselves too tired for a bit of hunting?"

"No," the siblings said in unison.

"Wonderful. Leafstorm, Icepelt, and Arumpaw will join us."

_Six cats,_ Coalstripe brooded. Ashstar had been steadily increasing the number of warriors on each patrol for moons, and as far as he could tell no one had any idea why. None of the other Clans had threatened war, and prey was far from scarce.

"Ah, here they are now. Impeccable timing as always, Leafstorm."

After a short time, they were off, trudging among the maples and moors of LightClan territory, their muscles aching from disuse, every step plodding and stiffened by the remnants of sleep. The heat was almost unbearable. It clogged Coalstripe's lungs and pressed in on the warriors from all directions.

"Unpleasant, isn't it?" said Shardclaw. "But the humidity is better for LightClan than dry heat. The streams still run, herbs are bountiful, prey and enemy warriors are subdued."

Coalstripe nodded grudgingly.

Arumpaw ground to halt suddenly, blocking his path with her tawny yellow tail. "I hear screaming." Coalstripe strained his ears, but could detect nothing save for the rustle of the leaves overhead and the effortful breathing of his Clanmates.

Shardclaw's lips quirked up in a wan smile. "It seems our guest has finally awoken," he said drily. "I pity the cat who has to explain his... predicament."

The brown tom. Coalstripe couldn't believe he had forgotten about him. As if he needed proof beyond his vigil-night snooze that he wasn't truly deserving of warrior status. Guilt swept through him like a summer wind, hot and grating. Then the patrol moved on, and the unspoken questions surrounding the mysterious brown-furred warrior were left behind them.

As they drew near to where the trees gave way to a rolling field, the savory scent of rabbit wafted to his twitching nostrils from the north. It was only enhanced by the thickness of the air. He plummeted into a hunter's crouch, tail held perfectly still so as not to disturb the tall grasses, muscles tense, head and body held low to the ground, and slunk downwind of his intended prey. Shardclaw, Icepelt, and Leafstorm wandered in search of other targets, while Rosebriar crept around to flank the rabbit and Arumpaw looked on with sharp, watchful eyes. Coalstripe swore that she-cat noticed everything. A subtle flicker of motion caught his eye as Rosebriar's tail twitched. The signal.

The silver tabby rocketed forward, white paws outstretched and pounding rhythmically against the soft earth, tail streaming behind him like a banner. The sharp stones and prickly stems cracking underfoot stung his calloused pads, and he could already feel the splinter of frail rabbit bones between his teeth. His heart throbbed with adrenaline. Rosebriar sprinted from the right. Her eyes were alight with the thrill of pursuit. The rabbit started, its fathomless black eyes rimmed with white, and scampered eastward. The two warriors pivoted and shot after it. Even slowed by the steamy weather, the animal was impossibly swift. Rosebriar was swifter. She sprung into the air and struck like an eagle, her claws sinking deep into the rabbit's haunches. Coalstripe drew abreast to her and pinned it by the shoulders, snapping its scrawny neck with a single bite.

"Nice catch," called Arumpaw, scurrying across the wildflower meadow to meet them. She surveyed the fresh-kill with an appraising gaze. "Ashstar will love it. Rabbit is his favorite prey, you know."

Coalstripe's mood soured immediately. These days the blue-eyed leader always took enough prey to feed three elders. It wasn't a problem now, but come leafbare prey would be scarcer and every morsel would have to be shared. Ashstar was up to something. Coalstripe just didn't know what.

Beside him, Arumpaw stiffened. "Do you smell that?"

Coalstripe parted his jaws, breathing in the myriad fragrances of the meadow. Sweet, dusty heather, dewy grass crushed beneath their paws, Queen Anne's lace and dandelions. And, faintly, something less familiar, like rotting leaves and marsh mud. He wrinkled his nose.

"StormClan?" He turned to Rosebriar. Her pretty fur was sullied with rabbit's blood and every limb trembled with terror.

"No, that's not StormClan," she mewed. Her voice warbled like a songbird's, uncharacteristically shrill.

"Fox. Leafstorm taught me how to recognize it," said Arumpaw. "She said they'll eat a Clan kit quick as you can blink and they can rip a full-grown warrior to bits easy as breathing. I've always wanted to see one."

"Foxes never venture onto our territory," Coalstripe said stubbornly. He peered into the dappled shadows of the maple grove. For a heartbeat, everything was silent and still. Then one scrap of darkness peeled itself away from the others, glowering at the LightClan cats with acidic yellow eyes that were not quite feline. The shadowy figure strode forward, and the milky sunlight illuminated a jutting, angular muzzle, teeth long as Coalstripe's whiskers, cruelly pointed ears, a rumpled auburn pelt… "Run," hissed Coalstripe.

The fox streaked forward, surprisingly quick. The warriors took off running, Arumpaw to the left, common sense apparently conquering her bizarre version of curiosity, Coalstripe to the right, and Rosebriar directly towards the beast's snapping jaws. His sister's piercing shriek resounded over the territory, echoing off of the twisted tree trunks, slicing through the torrid, blubbery air. Coalstripe whirled and charged the fox, careening into its long face just as its teeth closed on Rosebriar's ear. Coalstripe raked his claws down its cheek and his sister tore herself free. Blood sprayed in a crimson starburst. The fox's sinewy foreleg became a red-brown blur that seized him by the throat and forced him against the ground. A sharp stone bore into Coalstripe's shoulder, breaking the skin, and his eyesight clouded with pain.

_The nightmare._

He kicked upward towards the fox's underbelly. Coalstripe's hind claws met its musclebound chest, and the fox yelped, drawing back. It prepared for a second incursion, barbed claws arcing towards his exposed neck. Coalstripe ducked and rolled, and the blow ripped across his abdomen. He yowled furiously. The hornets from his dream attacked, buzzing through his marrow, setting his eyes on fire. He didn't have to look to know the depth and jaggedness of the wound. Choking on a sob, he dragged himself out of range of the next strike.

The fox rounded on Rosebriar, incisors flashing, ears flattened against its narrow head. The sleek warrior backed away, shivering intensely. She pressed her left eye closed against the rivulets of blood streaming from her ruined ear. Arumpaw leapt between the predator and his victim, her golden fur fluffed up so that her slight figure looked twice its size. The apprentice hissed menacingly.

Coalstripe felt a wave of loathing well up inside him. He should be the one risking his neck to protect his sister. Not Arumpaw. Try as he might, he couldn't tell whether the hatred was aimed at her or at his own weakness.

The fox batted Arumpaw away without an ounce of effort. She flew through the air, loosing a high-pitched cry, her body colliding with a nearby tree trunk with a sickening crack. She slid to the ground, motionless. Her assailant jabbed his head at Rosebriar, clamping its teeth around the her scruff and shaking her violently like a rag doll. She swatted feebly at its chin.

Coalstripe forced himself to stand, ignoring the searing pain rippling from his chest and stomach. He was losing blood, too much blood. The tabby warrior reared up and clawed at the fox's meaty hindquarters, digging so deeply into its flesh the he felt his clawtips scraping bone. The fox screeched and craned its neck to nip at Coalstripe, leaving Rosebriar to crumple against the ground in a heap of red and white fur. He leapt out of reach of its clicking jaws and landed hard between its shoulderblades. His claws plunged into its coarse pelt again, this time along its heaving flanks.

The fox shook him off easily and sat back on its haunches, preparing for the lethal strike. Coalstripe closed his eyes. He knew better than to pray for a quick death. He'd caused the fox too much suffering to be let off that easily.

"Don't _touch _my apprentice." Icepelt's curt snarl shattered the tension-filled moment. Coalstripe's former mentor stepped out from his blind spot, her pale eyes murderous and her mouth contorted with fury. At the same instant, Shardclaw released a blood-curdling battle cry and barreled from the trees, slashing viciously at the fox's eyes and nose. Icepelt wove in and out of its legs, scratching at its thighs so it hopped back and forth in a strangely hypnotic dance.

Out of the corner of his eye, Coalstripe saw Leafstorm racing back towards camp, mottled fur no more than a tan smudge. He commanded his legs to support him, rising for the third time to go on the offensive, but his paws buckled and he slumped, defeated, into the tall flowerbed. Icepelt was already panting, her face glazed over from the heat. She was slowing down, almost imperceptibly, but Coalstripe noticed. So did the fox. The instant Icepelt missed a beat in her attack, it lunged for her throat. Shardclaw whipped around, shoving her out of the way with his forepaws. The fox's clout met the deputy's face, renting it open from ear to jaw. Coalstripe averted his eyes, but he couldn't block out the tom's chilling keen. It rattled him to the core.

Icepelt buffeted the fox's sides with a series of well-timed hits. "The tree, Coalstripe!"

"One step ahead of you," growled Coalstripe, crawling toward the eaves of the forest. He felt like a worm, wriggling along on his belly in the dirt. The outermost maple loomed over him like a massive warrior, its branches arched menacingly overhead. There was no way he could climb it in this state, but for Rosebriar's sake, and for the sakes of Arumpaw still prone and stunned at the roots of the tree and Shardclaw with his ruined face and Icepelt fighting on, he would do it. He swore to StarClan he would.

Coalstripe set his forepaws against the rough, grayish bark, gripping it with his claws as tightly as he could, and heaved himself upward. The gash on his underbelly screamed in protest. He gritted his teeth and propped his hind paws against the trunk, preparing for another pace upward. The climb became a haze of anguish and exertion. The wails and taunts of Icepelt and the fox rang out behind him, and with each movement his entire body throbbed with agony.

It wasn't fun.

By the time he reached the lowest branch, Icepelt's jeering had grown faint and infrequent, and Coalstripe could barely breathe for the pain. He tried to focus on the plan through the vermilion mist that seemed to shroud his thoughts. _Break the branch, Coalstripe, _he urged himself. _Break the branch. _Coalstripe unsheathed his claws and sawed at the thin bough. Back and forth, back and forth. _Break the branch. _His perch began to shudder and bounce under his weight. _Lure the fox, break the branch._

"Hey, you!" The fox halted, and Coalstripe could distantly hear the crunch of bracken and heather beneath its feet and it strode toward the base of the tree. "You…" All the insults he'd ever heard seemed to evaporate on his tongue now, the time when he needed them most. The fox didn't seem to care. "You oversized bully!" It snarled, scratching at the trunk, foaming at the mouth. Coalstripe resumed his chiseling as he continued to bait it. "What, too high for you? Don't you know how to jump?"

Coalstripe had done it. The chink in the branch gaped open, wider and wider. He bounced up and down on his paws, and it crackled in warning.

_Now._

It split in two beneath Coalstripe's feet, plummeting downward and carrying the injured warrior with it. The fox let out a high, caustic bark as the sharpened point of the branch hurtled down towards its corrosive yellow eyes. And then it was silent.

Coalstripe hit the earth a few pawlengths away from the fox's gruesome corpse, the force of the impact jolting through his legs, spine, head. He swayed and toppled. Icepelt was nowhere to be seen; she must have taken Shardclaw back to the medicine den. The dignified senior warrior's sobs of pain still echoed in his ears. Darkness closed in. Why hadn't Leafstorm returned with reinforcements?

He squirmed closer to his sister's prostrate body. His hot, labored breath stirred her fur, but she didn't react.

"Rosebriar?" Coalstripe nuzzled her cheek with his nose, unable to meet her glassy green gaze. "Rosebriar, wake up. Come on. You got plenty of sleep during our vigil. You know, when the warrior code explicitly forbade it?" He laughed mirthlessly, butting her harder, trying to force her to smile at him again. Rosebriar didn't move. Rosebriar, who was patient and gentle even to Lightningpaw, who saw the best in everyone and refused to see the flaws, who couldn't bring herself to hurt even a slavering fox. "Well,_ I'm_ explicitly forbidding it now. Please wake up. Please, Rosebriar. Please."

_Rosebriar. _The darkness won over, and Coalstripe surrendered to it, his face resting on his littermate's motionless chest and his eyes burning with unshed tears.

Behind him, the fox dissipated into shadow with a muffled hiss and the branch impaling it fell, unnoticed, to the forest floor.


End file.
